Government and politics of Kalistan
The Politics of Kalistan take place within the framework of a democratic semi-presidential republic. Power is divided between the legislature (the National Assembly), the executive (the President) and the judiciary (the Constitutional Court). Constitution Kalistan has a codified constitution with specific procedures for amendment. The primary role of Kalistan's Constitutional Court is to interpret and apply the constitution although at certain times throughout history, this has not been the role which occupies the greatest proportion of the Court's time. Government In Kalistan, executive power is divided between the President, the Premier/Prime Minister and the cabinet. Each has specific duties and responsibilities and are granted differing powers in order to exercise them. Head of state The President of the Republic is the official head of state in Kalistan. Usually elected every three years, their role is primarily ceremonial and the position is often described as a figurehead. While presidential candidates are associated with a particular party, they are often referred to as "consensus-building" individuals who will stray from the core ideology of their party and seek to appeal to others. As a consequence, it is common for multiple political parties to endorse a single candidate in a Presidential election even when those same political parties are rivals in the legislature or in local government. Since the Premier is the nation's political leader and the head of government, the President's role is to sit above political considerations and identify the agenda of the other various political actors. In addition, they will often represent Kalistan in international affairs, such as visits to foreign nations and multi-national conferences. For this reason, the President is often characterised as being a representative of the state itself- its existence and legitimacy. In spite of this, the President does have a number of formal responsibilities as well as certain constitutional conventions. Under the principle of "presidential prerogative", they are responsible for the formation of a government and have the sole right to present a cabinet proposal to the National Assembly for its approval. While the Assembly must still approve any cabinet proposal, the President will usually consult extensively with the various power brokers beforehand in order to ensure their proposal is approved. The President is the head of state and thus the formal Commander-in-Chief of the Kalistani Regular Forces as well as the head of the national bureaucracy. Informally, this means they are expected to defend certain state institutions from both internal and external forces. Finally, the President is tasked with convening the Constitutional Court in a manner similar to their role within the appointment of a cabinet. Head of government The Premier of the Republic is the leader of the national Cabinet and as such, is the Head of the Kalistani government. Within the cabinet system, they are considered primus inter pares (first among equals). This means that the Premier is the leader of the cabinet while not technically holding an office which is superior to the other ministers within it. As a result, s/he has minimal power over the rest of the cabinet, with no patronage powers due to the role of the President and the National Assembly. The Premier is, nonetheless a powerful individual. In all legislative matters, the Premier speaks for the Majority Coalition, is the primary manager of all legislature proceeding through the National Assembly, and enjoys a bully pulpit as the face of the Legislature abroad. The Premier's informal authority is indeed much greater than even the formal powers of the President, and often takes leading roles in international affairs. Cabinet The cabinet is chief executive body in Kalistan. Composed of the Premier and twelve other senior ministers, each overseeing a department or ministry, the cabinet is in charge of implementing public policy in Kalistan. Usually, government policy will be determined by the Premier on the advice of the cabinet. As Deputies in the Assembly, Cabinet members may also sponsor legislation, and the Premier usually has them do so if a bill is within their portfolio as cabinet members: This provides the bill an additional air of legitimacy. Certain Cabinet officers have exclusive powers: Only the Foreign Minister may draft or forward international treaties for consideration. The only income tax and national budget bills which the Assembly is to consider must come from the Finance Minister: If any other Deputy advances a taxing or spending bill (with the exception of sales, luxury and corporate tax which are statutory matters) the Assembly is bound by precedent to vote against that bill. In accordance with the principle of Presidential Prerogative, all cabinet proposals must be brought forth by the President of the Republic. In addition, any cabinet proposal requires the support of a majority of the National Assembly and every party contained within the proposal in order to pass. Legislature Kalistan's national legislature is the National Assembly. Furthermore, each of Kalistan's five districts has a district assembly elected at the same time as Deputies in the National Assembly. According to the District Government Act, the Party which wins the plurality in the District names the Governor of the District who is responsible for executive actions in the Districts, and the composition of the District's legislature mirrors the District results in the National Election. Judiciary The Constitutional Court is the supreme court in all matters of Constitutional Review. The Constitutional Court is called by the President of the Republic specifically to resolve all controversies arising under the Constitution of Kalistan. The Court is seated based on the following formula *Each Party receives a Seat *The President names an additional seat *The Largest Non-Presidential Party names an additional seat *The Minister of Justice names an additional Seat, who serves as Chief Justice, and only votes in the case of a tie The History of the Court Seatings and all cases before the Court throughout Kalistani History is kept by the Socialist Party of Kalistan. Political parties Elections In Kalistan, presidential, gubernatorial and legislative elections are held at the same time. In general elections are held three years after the previous election however the National Assembly, by a majority vote, can call early elections. Category:Government and politics of Kalistan